Chapman opens up about 'fascinating experience' after Dancing On Ice sacking

Matt Chapman: tackled his sacking head on when appearing on Opening Show

Edward Whitaker

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By Stuart Riley
UPDATED 12:34PM, JAN 13 2018

Matt Chapman has spoken for the first time of his sacking from ITV's Dancing On Ice, with the racing pundit dealing with the issue head on and revealing he had wished his successor in the commentary booth, Sam Matterface, good luck.

"It's been what one could call eventful I think," Chapman said as he addressed the issue straight away on ITV4's Opening Show. "For those who don't know, and there will be one or two who have been on the moon in recent days, there will be no Dancing On Ice for me tomorrow night."

Chapman, who was axed from the show following a controversial debut that divided viewers, added: "It's been a fascinating experience. We've seen the dedication jockeys put in but the hours a day the celebrities put in and the media attention on them is unbelievable. It was so good to meet all of them. Genuinely it was actually a really cool, fun experience and I'll be watching tomorrow night and wishing the show well.

"It got 8.6 million viewers last weekend, which is pretty sensational in the modern era of television. I'll be watching, cheering it on, and I would just like to say I texted Sam Matterface, who will be doing my gig tomorrow night, we shared a couple of messages, and I would just like to say Sam, I wish you all the best, it is a really super cool job and you'll enjoy all the team and I hope it goes well."

Chapman's attempt to get the issue out of the way as a first order of business before focusing on the racing was not entirely successful, however, with his fellow pundits not allowing the issue to be completely swept under the carpet.

There were a number of references, such as "now we've broken the ice" and "let's turn our attentions to River Frost . . . is this one you like, Matt?"

To the latter Chapman quipped: "I'm steering clear of frost and ice and all things like that", to which Mick Fitzgerald slipped in perhaps the best of the wisecracks when he said, "Let it go Matt", sage advice that just so happens to be the title track from Disney's animated blockbuster Frozen.

While in a discussion of Faugheen's Champion Hurdle chances Chapman also referred to his disappointment with his firing and said: "I was thinking to myself what will I do with myself tomorrow night; obviously I'll watch the show, but I might just hang out with Faugheen for the evening and cheer myself up with that [watching replays]."

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Genuinely it was actually a really cool, fun experience and I'll be watching tomorrow night and wishing the show well